This invention relates to a tape tracking device for a tape recorder etc. which maintains a magnetic tape, during a reproduce mode at a reference position in a direction of the width of the magnetic tape.
In a tape recorder for effecting recording and reproduction normally using a magnetic tape, when a tape is shifted in the up and down directions during the reproduce mode, there occurs what is called "off-tracking". Since the level of a reproduced signal is lowered due to the occurrence of "off-tracking" a light-and-dark flicker noise is produced on the reproduction screen in a video tape recorder, deteriorating an image quality. Recently, the enhancement of a recording density is required for a saving of the consumption of magnetic tapes and an attempt is being made to obtain a multi-track device. With a multi-track type tape recorder, in order to enhance the recording density attempts have been made to make a head-to-head spacing smaller and the track width narrower. As the track width becomes narrower and narrower, off-tracking is liable to occur due to the up and down shifting of the magnetic tape, there thus being a marked tendency for the level of a reproduced signal to be lowered. For this reason, a tracking device is provided which maintains the running magnetic tape at a reference position in the direction of the width of the magnetic tape. A conventional tracking device is comprised of guide flanges for guiding a running magnetic tape in a direction of the width of the magnetic tape. For example, a guide post having a pair of flanges for guiding the upper and lower edges of the magnetic tape may be provided in a tape travelling mechanism. In this device, however, the up-and-down shifting of the magnetic tape is prevented by causing the upper and lower edges of the magnetic tape to be contacted with the corresponding flanges. In this case, stresses are applied to the upper and lower edges of the magnetic tape, there being a risk that the upper and lower edges of the tape will be damaged.